Does Thai Curry Paste Go Bad
Thai curry paste can go bad. If it smells sour or funky and tastes sour, it’s likely gone bad. Thai curry that has gone bad can grow white or blue mold which appears on the surface of the paste. There is a risk of food poisoning when consuming expired Thai curry paste.
Each Thai curry paste will come with the recommended time that you can safely use once opened, before it goes bad. While a Thai curry paste can likely last several months in the refrigerator, its optimal taste begins to wane in 2-3 weeks. Thai curry paste eventually goes bad as soon as you open it, and is most fresh if used within 2 weeks, stored in a fridge. Thai curry paste is made of a number of spices and oils that may become separated, lose flavor, or develop bacteria and mold after being opened, so should not be used.
Thai curry which has gone bad may grow a white or blue mould that appears on the surface of the paste. The spices may begin to ferment, and if the bacteria and molds grow, they may produce gases that will tell you that the paste has gone bad. There is the possibility of the bacteria or mold growing on the surface of the paste, which would smell awful and make it worse to eat. While separation does occur in a tiny amount after opening a jar, the bad paste will appear to be very oily on the top.
If a paste has been sitting for too long, it will change from looking fresh to feeling more like dried-out spices. You can, but most curry recipes will tell you to saute the paste in the fat first so that the herbs and spices bloom, and if you are using watery paste, you are going to boil it a bit before you really begin frying. That is why we have to start with the paste, then expand from there into the complete recipe for a yellow curry. What is going to happen here is that you are going to spend 45 minutes making this yellow curry paste (30 of which involves waiting for the garlic and shallots to roast, so hiiiii phone games) and after you have put in the time to make this yellow curry paste, you are going to be giving yourself the gift of 4+ batches of homemade curry ready to go at a moments notice because this stuff can freeze, baby.
As long as you keep a tight-fitting lid on, you can store your homemade curry paste in a cool area, and it will remain fresh for a good amount of time. Once opened, curry paste can be stored in a refrigerator for about two weeks to two months, except for use in baking purposes. Curry paste should last quite a few years when not opened, kept in a cool, dark area, like a cupboard, then, after being opened, placed in the fridge for about two weeks to two months to three weeks. Curry may keep for about 2-3 days in the refrigerator, provided that the safety standards are maintained.
If, for some reason, you have to store green curry chicken in the refrigerator, best consumed in 4-6 days. It is important to note that Chicken curry needs to be consumed within 2 to 4 days if stored in refrigerator, but can last for up to two months when stored in the freezer. Since Chicken Curry has one perishable food, Chicken, added in it, it has a similar shelf-life to cooked Chicken, which will keep about 3- 4 days in the refrigerator when kept in a sealed container or bag. This extra moisture causes lots of bacteria to grow, which is why you need to keep the curry paste in the refrigerator for at least two hours after opening.
| Storage Places | Shelf life |
| Fridge | 2 weeks |
| Freezer | 3 months |
| Room Temperature | 4 weeks |
I like to purchase smaller cans of curry paste, so that I can finish it within 2-3 weeks, and they will still be fresh and tasty every time. The best ways to ensure certain types of curry pastes will still be fresh and tasty is by properly storing it, using a clean spoon every time you use a bit of paste, keeping hands away from any unused portions, and cooking with utensils that were not used for any other foods. You can use a store-bought red curry paste as the starting point, then add herbs and spices to make it something different; just pulse the ingredients using the same principles and methods as described above, and stir the store-bought paste into the mixture at the end.
If you’re interested in Can Worcestershire Sauce go bad if not refrigerated?, take a look at my other article.
Curry paste has many of the same spices, like turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, and cumin, and then you add in butter, garlic, lemongrass, galangal (or Thai ginger), and a few chillies, the latter being the ingredients that lend curry paste a distinctive colour and flavour. The flavours in Thai curry paste are complex, and it can be hard to tell which ingredients are present in the paste simply by tasting it; they are also rather numerous, with varieties specific to different regions in Thailand, or even to different households. I definitely made the mistake of opening more than one can of Thai green curry paste, and found myself digging around in the back of my refrigerator to figure out which I opened first.
The first issue that you are going to notice when opening Thai curry cans past their expiration dates is the flavors going to get spoiled. The good news is you can probably extend the expiration date just a little bit longer before the curry gets moldy or stale. The good news is that you might be able to get a bit more use out of the curry before it goes bad.
After making curry completely from scratch, and realizing just how delicious it could actually be, I just could not resist trying it out once again, and possibly making it slightly easier. When I had friends over for a lunch club, and we made this Thai Yellow Curry with Beef and Potatoes from scratch, I did the really formal thing of going out and getting some ingredients at an Asian grocery that is an amazing two miles away, and I am actually really glad that I did that one time.
If you’re interested in Can Rice Krispies Go Bad, take a look at my other article.
You could use less salt (1 1/2 tbsp seems like a lot, I know), but you probably will have to add it in at a later point when making the paste in your curry — just remember this is divided up into at least 4 batches, each with 4-6 servings each, so the salt is fairly evenly distributed.
What happens if you eat expired curry paste?
If you do, your dinner will probably have a distinct flavor or taste, mainly something you won’t like. However, you might still be able to eat your old curry paste. However, you won’t be able to do this until you haven’t opened it.
How long is Thai curry paste good for?
Suppose you want to retain the quality of the Thai curry paste in its freshest state possible. In that case, you should refrigerate any opened Thai curry paste immediately after use, and it will retain its quality for up to 3 months. Unopened Thai paste has a greater shelf life and can be preserved for a more extended period, up to 720 days.
How to tell if Thai curry paste has gone bad?
You can tell if your Thai curry past has gone bad if there is a stale odor of the paste, meaning that mold or bacteria is growing in between. The paste may also look clumpy and dried, with cracked texture consistency, meaning that it has lost most of its flavor and should be discarded.